This video might be the best example of Ruth’s famous power. That ball was crushed!
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I watched a video of a minor leaguer hitting with replicas of all the old timey bats.
Pitching was slower back then, but ability to get that 40oz hickory bat around as quickly as he did was incredible.
The right field line was 297 feet when both Ruth and Roger Maris played.My Great-Grandfather owned a store in D.C. and several baseball players went there. He had a leather notebook and got the autographs of Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Walter Johnson, Whitey Ford plus several other lesser known players.
My Uncle still has the autograph book. When one of my Uncle's was young, he accidentally smudged the Babe Ruth autograph. Yikes. It still looks about 80% good, though.
Would Babe Ruth dominate baseball today? I asked a guy at a baseball game and he said he thinks Ruth would dominate with some training to adapt to the modern game.
He said the outfields are shorter now and Ruth may hit more home runs.
Anyone have any thoughts?
My Great-Grandfather owned a store in D.C. and several baseball players went there. He had a leather notebook and got the autographs of Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Walter Johnson, Whitey Ford plus several other lesser known players.
My Uncle still has the autograph book. When one of my Uncle's was young, he accidentally smudged the Babe Ruth autograph. Yikes. It still looks about 80% good, though.
Would Babe Ruth dominate baseball today? I asked a guy at a baseball game and he said he thinks Ruth would dominate with some training to adapt to the modern game.
He said the outfields are shorter now and Ruth may hit more home runs.
Anyone have any thoughts?
The right field line was 297 feet when both Ruth and Roger Maris played.
I read that he could read a license plate several blocks away.I think Ruth would still be a great hitter in today’s game. He had elite coordination, timing and reflexes. Those skills have always been primary among the game’s best hitters.
As far as that autograph book, wow!
My Great-Grandfather owned a store in D.C. and several baseball players went there. He had a leather notebook and got the autographs of Babe Ruth, Lou Gherig, Walter Johnson, Whitey Ford plus several other lesser known players.
My Uncle still has the autograph book. When one of my Uncle's was young, he accidentally smudged the Babe Ruth autograph. Yikes. It still looks about 80% good, though.
Would Babe Ruth dominate baseball today? I asked a guy at a baseball game and he said he thinks Ruth would dominate with some training to adapt to the modern game.
He said the outfields are shorter now and Ruth may hit more home runs.
Anyone have any thoughts?
The RF line at Yankee stadium was 255. And he played nearly half of his away games at fields with a RF under 300 feet.
What does that mean in today's game?
I watched a video of a minor leaguer hitting with replicas of all the old timey bats.
Pitching was slower back then, but ability to get that 40oz hickory bat around as quickly as he did was incredible.
That Ruth (especially) and Maris (a bit less) took advantage of worse pitching and smaller fields than today's hitters.
Keep in mind, every sport progresses, and every sport now is filled with players that are bigger, faster, stronger and more skilled than players of yore. That's why you don't compare Bonds and Ruth, you compare Ruth and Foxx, and Bonds and Pujols (as examples)
I read that he could read a license plate several blocks away.
The stadiums then were built to fit in whatever available space there was. The Polo grounds, for example, had a weird, almost rectangular shape, because that was what was available for space to put a field. The pre-Wrigley West Side Park the Cubs played in was nearly 500 feet to straighaway left, but only like 230 to the RF line because of the available space.How does that compare to today?
The article I linked states today's ballparks are built for home runs.
Bonds was doing steroids, like half the players in that era. Or more..
Does that make Babe look even better by comparison?
The stadiums then were built to fit in whatever available space there was. The Polo grounds, for example, had a weird, almost rectangular shape, because that was what was available for space to put a field. The pre-Wrigley West Side Park the Cubs played in was nearly 500 feet to straighaway left, but only like 230 to the RF line because of the available space.
No one was tearing down building to put in ballparks. They were putting them in spots that was available and big enough for a stadium. But fitting them between existing streets/train lines. Everything was like Wrigley and Fenway, weird dimensions. So you might have a 250' LF line and 460 to CF and 370 to RF line, or the reverse.
It’s interesting to compare the advantages vs. disadvantages of hitters from different eras. That topic makes for great discussions on Baseball Fever’s forum.
No, Ruth was facing the equivalent of today's HS pitching.
This is a good point. Ebbet’s Field is another example of building within a space that was available.
That's certainly not true.
Ruth faced some of the best pitchers in history.
They were great for that era. Every single pitcher in the league right now has better "stuff" than Walter Johnson. Don't compared 1920s baseball players and 2020s baseball players.
Tip: Slow the playback speed to 50% and watch again.This video might be the best example of Ruth’s famous power. That ball was crushed!
Walter Johnson was believed to throw in the 90’s. He’d still be an MLB pitcher. He also threw way more and without any of the rehab or medical knowledge we have today.They were great for that era. Every single pitcher in the league right now has better "stuff" than Walter Johnson. Don't compared 1920s baseball players and 2020s baseball players.
My dad told me that Ruth was strong, FAST and very quick (hands and feet) and he was a big man for his times. He was one helluva athlete. Ruth’s “juicing” shortened his career as opposed to lengthening it.Walter Johnson was believed to throw in the 90’s. He’d still be an MLB pitcher. He also threw way more and without any of the rehab or medical knowledge we have today.
Ruth played on shorter fields, but with higher mounds and a softer baseball. I still think he’d be an elite player.
Bonds and Ruth both had exceptional hand eye coordination and great wrists. Bonds was one of the greatest hitters before he juiced. Ask Greg Maddux.
It’s also worth noting that pre-testing players would take greenies and eat high testosterone foods like bull testicles. Lots of guys were juicing before “juicing” was a thing.
He actually hit more home runs on the road in his career.The right field line was 297 feet when both Ruth and Roger Maris played.
Walter Johnson was believed to throw in the 90’s. He’d still be an MLB pitcher. He also threw way more and without any of the rehab or medical knowledge we have today.
And I'd actually agree with that discussion. Comparing the environments is actually interesting. Comparing the players is boring, because, in every sport, modern players are better. And a lot of it has to do with the changing environments, progression in training, advances in the game itself, etc.
So yeah, I love discussing what 1920s players did for training, used for bats, what the stadiums were like, etc.
They were great for that era. Every single pitcher in the league right now has better "stuff" than Walter Johnson. Don't compared 1920s baseball players and 2020s baseball players.
The RF line at Yankee stadium was 255. And he played nearly half of his away games at fields with a RF under 300 feet.
I believe he played 3 seasons at the Polo Grounds (1920-1922) as a Yankee with a RF corner of 258’. Not to mention as a Red Sox player from 1913-1919 he would have played a number of games there as well.
Here’s the ball parks for most of his career. Only one of these is significantly favorable to a left hand hitter and he only played three years there.I believe he played 3 seasons at the Polo Grounds (1920-1922) as a Yankee with a RF corner of 258’. Not to mention as a Red Sox player from 1913-1919 he would have played a number of games there as well.